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Wales stars in a few early sound western features and shorts for Big 4, Imperial, Superior, Denver Dixon's Security company, and Reliable. He also stars in the serial, THE VOICE FROM THE SKY (Ben Wilson, 1929).


 Wally Wales
Starring roles only - one serial and some western features and shorts.
SOUND FILMS ONLY.
Special thanks to Les Adams for this filmography.


Year Title Company Director Leading Lady
1929 THE VOICE FROM THE SKY (10 chapter serial) Wilson Prod. Ben Wilson Jean Delores (Neva Garber)
1930 TRAILS OF DANGER (aka TRAILS OF PERIL) Big 4 Alvin J. Neitz (Alan James) Virginia Brown Faire
1930 BREED OF THE WEST Big 4 Alvin J. Neitz (Alan James) Virginia Brown Faire
1931 RED FORK RANGE Big 4 Alvin J. Neitz (Alan James) Ruth Mix
1931 HELL'S VALLEY Big 4 Alvin J. Neitz (Alan James) Virginia Brown Faire
1931 SO THIS IS ARIZONA Big 4 J. P. McGowan Lorraine LaVal
1931 RIDERS OF THE CACTUS Big 4 David Kirkland Lorraine LaVal
1931 FLYING LARIATS Big 4 David Kirkland Bonnie Jean Gray
Then came a couple year break where Wales had no starring roles.
1934 THE ADVENTURES OF TEXAS JACK (17 minute short) Security Denver Dixon Victoria Vinton
1934 POTLUCK PARDS (short)
(Wales is billed as "Walt Williams" in this.)
Reliable /
B & B Prod.
Bernard B. Ray Josephine Hill
1934 ARIZONA CYCLONE (20 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Karla Cowan
1934 THE SUNDOWN TRAIL (18 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Fay McKenzie
1934 CARRYING THE MAIL (19 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Peggy Djarling
1934 THE DESERT MAN (20 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Peggy Djarling
1934 PALS OF THE WEST (20 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Dorothy Crittin
1934 THE LONE RIDER (21 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Merla (Myrla) Bratton
1934 WEST OF THE LAW (26 minute short) Imperial Robert Emmett (Tansey) Myrla Bratton
1934 THE WAY OF THE WEST Empire/Superior Robert Emmett (Tansey) Myrla Bratton



Above is a tradepaper ad for Wales in THE VOICE FROM THE SKY (Ben Wilson, 1929). Film Daily had several blurbs in their November and December, 1929 issues relating to the completion and release of this ten chapter serial. VOICE was among the lost / missing for decades, but some picture elements were recently discovered. "Jean Delores" is really Neva Gerber and she did several earlier serials for Ben F. Wilson.



The Big 4 company was founded by John R. Freuler in the late 1920s and his films were released to the states rights markets. That company went bust around 1932 and Freuler then put together Freuler Film Associates, sometimes referred to as "Monarch", and that venture lasted until about 1934. Trade ad above for Freuler's overly optimistic plans for eighteen sagebrush adventures consisting of a half-dozen each for Bob Custer, Buzz Barton and Wally Wales.

Custer wound up starring in four while Buzz had the lead in three.




(From Old Corral collection)

Above is a well worn title lobby card from TRAILS OF DANGER (Big 4, 1930; aka TRAILS OF PERIL), one of Wales' early talkies for National Players/Big 4 which was released in late 1930. The gal is Virginia Browne Faire, frequent heroine in silents and early 1930s sound oaters. Note the mention of this film as "an All Talking WESTERN". The white hoss is the "horse with a mottled face and many names" which is documented in the Trusty Steeds/Movie Horse section on the Old Corral.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - Robert Walker waits for Wales to enter the saloon in the above lobby card and crop/blowup from the early sound oater, BREED OF THE WEST (Big 4, 1930).



(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Above is lobby card and crop/blowup from the Wally Wales starrer RIDERS OF THE CACTUS (Big 4, 1931). On the far left is Buzz Barton, and Wally Wales is atop the white cayuse. Les Adams was able to identify the big man facing Barton as Gus Anderson, and the smiling rider next to Wales appears to be Sam J. Garrett, a champion roper of the 1930s.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - Wales and heroine Lorraine LaVal in an exotic pose from RIDERS OF THE CACTUS (Big 4, 1931).



From the August 12, 1932 Film Daily, available at the Internet Archive.

1932 issues of Film Daily and Motion Picture Herald trade publications had several articles about shoestring independent producer Mitchell Leichter forming NAPA, an independent production company. Leichter had plans for a series of eight westerns with Wally Wales, famous horse Silver King, and Jacques Jaccard was to direct. That didn't happen.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

The Bud 'n' Ben shorts from Reliable Pictures had Benny Corbett in a lead role and he was often paired up with Jack Perrin. An exception was POTLUCK PARDS (Reliable, 1934) with Wales as the star ... and for some unknown reason, he's billed as "Walt Williams". Above are Wales and Josephine Hill in a scene from POTLUCK. Hill was married to Jack Perrin and they had a daughter. But they divorced in the 1930s.


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